You’ve probably seen both terms: Human-centered and human-centric. They are used in articles, talks, and even job descriptions.
However, is there a meaningful difference, or are they just two ways of saying the same thing?
Let’s break it down.
UX vs. marketing
Both terms focus on the same principle: designing solutions with real people in mind.
Whether you’re creating a product, service, or experience, the goal is to understand and respond to human needs, behaviors, and feedback.
That said:
- Human-centered is the standard in UX, design thinking, and product development.
- Human-centric feels more at home in business, marketing, or strategy decks, slightly more abstract, a bit more “big picture.”
But in the end? The outcome is the same: Building with empathy and usability at the core.
Does it really matter?
Not really. Most teams use the terms interchangeably. What actually matters is the approach, not the vocabulary:
- Are you talking to users?
- Are you testing early and often?
- Are you solving real problems?
If the answer is yes, you’re already doing the work, whatever you decide to call it.
